Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language

Our MA programme in the Anthropology of Food offers you the opportunity to explore historically and culturally variable foodways, from foraging to industrial agriculture, from Europe and North America to Africa, Asia and South America.

You will study the passage of food from plant to palate, and examine who benefits, and who suffers, from contemporary modes of food production, exchange, preparation, and consumption. You will also explore the role of food in human migrations, the formation of regional and national cuisines, and food fears and food safety and concerns over ‘nutrition transition’.

Debates over the impact of agricultural biotechnology on agrarian livelihoods and knowledge systems, as well as on the natural environment, are assessed. Movements toward organic agriculture, veganism and vegetarianism, fair trade, and slow food are also analysed.

An anthropological approach to the study of food draws upon and challenges the perspectives of other disciplines, whether agronomy or nutritional science, economics or law, history or literature.

Why study MA Anthropology of Food and Intensive Language at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK in the 2022 QS World University Rankings for Anthropology, and 10th in the world
• 4th in the UK (2023 Times/Sunday Times League Table)
• exceptional regional expertise of our academics in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages and politics, many of whom have joined us with a practical working knowledge of their disciplines
• thriving community of alumni and academics who have an impact on the world outside of academia
• flexibly structure your programme using our optional modules and/or optional modules from other departments, including the opportunity to learn a regional language
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages; your command of a second language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
• first-rate graduate employability record, with graduates moving on to find employment in food-related government ministries, international organisations, development agencies, or non-governmental associations.

This two-year intensive language pathway is directed at students who want to engage with a country academically and/or professionally, as the intensive language courses will enable them to reach near proficiency in the language.